Thirty Years
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: AU. Mark and Derek celebrate thirty anniversaries together. Mark/Derek


**Disclaimer**: I don't own Grey's Anatomy and I never will. No copyright infringement intended.

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Mark and Derek's first anniversary is spent with family. Derek's mother Carolyn bakes them a cake. Nancy gives them a gift. Kathleen, Anne, and Megan tell embarrassing stories all night.

Mark and Derek sneak out three hours after the party starts. "This has been a wild, but great year," Mark tells his boyfriend.

"It has been wild and great," Derek agrees. He leans in and kisses Mark.

"I love you, Derek Shepherd." Mark is drunk and sappy tonight.

Derek doesn't mind. "I love you too, Mark Sloan." He can't believe it took him and Mark so long to admit their feelings for each other.

"Mom wants you two inside. And she said to tell you guys not have to go off and have sex," Anne informs her brother and Mark. She struggles not to laugh.

Mark and Derek grab hands and head back inside. They end up staying up most of the night with the Shepherd women.

All in all, their first anniversary goes perfectly. Mark and Derek have fun. There were no problems at all during the day.

Mark and Derek's second anniversary is spent in Seattle Grace Hospital, where Mark is a patient. He's been hurt in a car accident.

"This sucks," Mark groans as he leans back in his bed. He hates being the patient, especially on his anniversary.

"I think you should stop whining," Izzie Karev says. She spent the first part of her marriage in the hospital. It really sucks.

"I want to see Derek." Mark knows he's being unfair since his boyfriend is working, but he can't help whining. This is not how he pictured today going.

"He'll be here after his shift is over," Izzie reminds him. She understands that Mark is lonely, but he's being really annoying.

Sure enough, Derek shows up in hoes boyfriend's hospital room only two hours later. "How are you feeling?" Derek questions. He's been worried about Mark all day. Derek's also been missing his soul mate.

"Like crap. Happy that you're here now," Mark murmurs. He's tired of sitting in this room. He wants to go home and spend a nice, comfortable day with Derek.

Derek smiles. "I'm here now, Mark. I'm not leaving." Derek sits down in one of the uncomfortable chairs and grabs Mark's hand.

"Come sit with me, Der." Mark doesn't want to be alone right now.

"You sure, Babe?" Derek doesn't want to risk hurting Mark any more. He doesn't like Mark being in pain. He hurts when Mark hurts.

"I'm sure," Mark replies. He lets the "babe" slide. Derek only calls him that when's really worried. He doesn't even realize he's doing it.

Derek gets up out of the chair and climbs into Mark's bed. He is careful and avoids where Mark's been injured. "We'll celebrate later," he tells Mark.

"Can't wait." Mark's really tired all of a sudden and wants to go to sleep. The painkillers have most likely kicked in.

Derek holds into his boyfriend as Mark's eyes close. He follows him into sleep about five minutes later.

Cristina and Izzie stop in to check on Mark shortly afterwards. Although Cristina will never admit it, the two guys are adorable. Izzie snaps a picture and decides to give it to Mark and Derek for a Christmas present.

Mark and Derek have their own private celebration of their anniversary as soon as Mark is discharged from the hospital.

Their third anniversary is spent in California. Addison is getting remarried to Pete Wilder. Pete and Violet's two year old son Stephen is ring bearer.

"We're happy for you," Derek says to his ex-wife. He's glad that Addison has moved on.

"Congratulations," Mark chimes in. At least the wedding is two days away and not on their actual anniversary.

"I'm happy for you two. Three years is a long time," Addison replies. She has never expected Mark to be in a three year relationship, let alone with Derek.

"Thanks." Derek hopes their relationship lasts a long time. He loves Mark so much and can't imagine his life without him.

"Archer's showing up in the next few hours," Pete informs his fiancée, Mark, and Derek. Mark and Derek are determined to not let Archer ruin their anniversary.

Mark and Derek head over to their table to talk to Sam, Naomi, Violet, and Cooper fifteen minutes later since there is nothing else to do.

"I wish Miranda was here." Sam misses his girlfriend. Bailey couldn't get time off of work to come to the wedding. That's okay. Sam's visiting Seattle in a few weeks anyway.

Mark and Derek's anniversary is spent with friends, but they don't mind. Their vacation is fun. They also love seeing Addison Forbes Montgomery become Addison Forbes Montgomery-Wilder.

The couple's third anniversary is perfect for them.

Mark and Derek spend their fourth anniversary at Joe's. They don't want to do anything fancy this year, since four years is not that big of a deal.

"You two look like you're having fun," Alex observes, putting five month old Lorelei back in her stroller. Izzie smiles at the couple.

"This is exactly how we wanted to spend our anniversary," Derek explains. He and Mark already celebrated five times this morning, and can't wait to go home and celebrate again.

"We love hanging out with you guys. This is perfect for us." Mark is starving and can't wait to go home, though. He and Derek are eating here for lunch, but they have a special anniversary dinner planned for later.

"You two are the happiest couple I've ever seen," Cristina tells them. Owen nods in agreement. He's never seen a couple so happy before. Even he and Cristina aren't this happy!

"We've been friends since we were little kids," Mark points out. He can't remember a time before Derek. He's just surprised they were in denial about their feelings for such a long time.

Derek leans his head on Mark's shoulder. "We try not to fight too often. And when we do fight, we make up pretty quickly."

"Good mental imagery I'm getting here," Izzie comments. Alex shoots his wife a look, but doesn't really care if she's thinking about Mark and Derek together.

"Stop that train of thought," Cristina warns. Her mind will start imagining Mark and Derek, and Cristina really doesn't want that right now. She wants to get drunk today.

The couple head back to their apartment three hours later. Mark starts dinner, and Derek helps him prepare it.

"This is excellent," Derek raves after taking a bite of spaghetti. He's so happy he and Mark decided to eat in this year. Going out to eat seems like too much work, even though they spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon at Joe's with a few friends.

"Thanks, Der. I'm glad you like it." Mark had been unsure about making the spaghetti at first. He only makes spaghetti for something really important, and today was it. He's happy that Derek is raving after his spaghetti.

Derek and Mark eat the rest of their dinner in silence. Afterwards, they bring out a chocolate cake that Derek made out of the box.

"This is going to be a good night," Derek tells his boyfriend. He can't imagine spending his and Mark's anniversary alone. Ever. He's determined to be by Mark's side for all of their future anniversaries.

"I love you," Mark says to Derek after he is done with his piece of cake. Derek's been done for a few minutes now, and was just waiting for him to finish.

"I love you too," Derek answers. He will always be in love with his man. Derek has decided that he will never stop loving Mark.

Mark and Derek get up to go do the dishes when Mark impulsively kisses his boyfriend. Derek slowly puts the dishes down and wraps his arms around Mark.

The two don't leave the kitchen at all that night. They don't even regret the sex on the kitchen floor when they wake up the next morning.

The couple celebrate their fifth anniversary by going out of town. They get on a plane at 4:00 in the morning to go to Arizona. Mark and Derek want to visit the Grand Canyon.

"Can you believe we've been together five years?" Derek questions after they arrive at the hotel. They've been together _half a_ _decade_!

Mark shakes his head. "It seems like just yesterday that we admitted our feelings for each other, Der. I'm so happy we've made it this long." He hopes to spend at least another five years with the love of his life.

"You want to go to the Grand Canyon now?" Derek's never been there, and really wants to see it. He's so happy Mark suggested this as their anniversary trip.

"Of course I do. Let's go." Mark and Derek leave their room and head for their rental car. It takes them a few minutes, but the couple finally arrives at the Grand Canyon.

"It's beautiful," Derek sighs. He's so glad that he and Addison were too busy to come here when they were married, because it's just so much nicer to be here with Mark.

"Great way to spend our anniversary? You glad I suggested this trip?" Mark asks. He's so happy he came up with this idea. He and Derek wanted to celebrate their fifth anniversary in a place that wasn't Seattle, and the Grand Canyon had immediately popped up.

"Yes to both of the questions, Babe," Derek replies. He can't imagine a better anniversary trip than where they're at.

Anniversary number six is spent at work, but the couple really don't mind. They already gave the other their presents earlier. At least Mark thinks so.

Derek has a surprise for his boyfriend. He's been planning this surprise since their last anniversary, and today is the day to reveal it.

"Izzie Karev said you had a surprise waiting for me and I better go right away. I figured I should, because she's knocked up and her mood's swinging all over the place," Mark says, stepping into the on-call room. He wonders if Derek wants to have sex in the on-call room. He wouldn't mind.

"Before you even say it, we're not having sex in the on-call room. We'll do that later. I have a better surprise for you, Mark." Derek's so excited that he can barely keep the secret to himself. Luckily, Mark will know it in a few minutes.

"Der, hurry up and tell me. I want to know the secret," Mark whines. He's dying to find out what it is. He hasn't seen Derek this excited in a long time.

Derek takes a deep breath before he starts talking. As of yesterday, I am officially Derek Christopher Shepherd-Sloan. I've been wanting to change my last name for awhile. I love you so much that I wanted to have your name," he rambles. He's nervous now, afraid that Mark will hate his name change.

"I can't believe you did that for me," an amazed Mark replies. He's so happy that Derek loves him that much. He's actually changed his last name!

"I wanted to, Mark." Derek loves referring to himself as Dr. Derek Shepherd-Sloan. He's been saying in his head (and out loud) for the past year. Derek's happy that he did this.

Mark leans in and kisses Derek. "Love you so much, Derek Christopher Shepherd-Sloan." Turns out he loves saying Derek Shepherd-Sloan too. Mark's still in shock that his boyfriend did this.

"Love you too, Mark Charles Sloan." Derek doesn't know why he just full named Mark, but he did. It was really nice to say.

Mark and Derek end up having sex in the on-call room anyway. Later, they look back on this anniversary and agree it was one of their favorites.

For their seventh anniversary, Mark Sloan and Derek Shepherd-Sloan bring home their newborn daughter from the hospital.

The couple had been on an adoption waiting list for the past two years. Five months earlier, a pregnant single woman had decided to let the couple adopt her baby.

Two days ago, Mark and Derek's daughter Gillian Carolyn Shepherd-Sloan came into the world after twenty-five hours of labor.

"This is the greatest anniversary present ever," Mark tells Derek. He's the one holding their daughter at the moment, but Derek will want her back in a few minutes.

"Even better than last year?" Derek asks. He had thought nothing could top last year, but he was wrong. Derek can't believe he and Mark are daddies now.

"Even better than last year," Mark confirms. These past two anniversaries have been the best. He's so happy to be with Derek.

"We love you, Baby Girl." Derek can't stop staring at Gillian. She is the most beautiful baby girl he's ever seen. Not even the Karev kids, the Montgomery-Wilder kids, and the Yang-Hunt kids compare to his daughter.

"You're the best thing to ever happen to us," Mark chimes in. He hands the baby to his boyfriend. Mark can't believe he's a father. He has a daughter now.

"She is." Derek can't wait to play with his little girl. He and Mark are going to be the best daddies ever. They'll spoil Gillian.

"You okay with not celebrating our anniversary this year?" Mark can't help but ask the question. Seven years isn't that big of a deal, but he's still worrying. Mark can't help it.

"I'm okay with it," Derek assures his boyfriend. He kisses Mark and continues to stare at the baby.

All in all, Mark and Derek's seventh anniversary goes pretty well.

Mark and Derek spend their eighth anniversary at work, but then decide to go out to a fancy restaurant for dinner.

The Karevs (Even though they have four kids of their own) are watching Gillian for the couple. Mark and Derek have a nanny, but she's off for the weekend.

"You think Gilly's okay with Alex and Izzie?" questions a worried Derek. He loves his daughter so much, and it's hard to imagine his life without her and Mark now.

"Alex and Izzie are perfectly prepared to handle an extra kid in their house. Even one that's just learning how to walk," Mark answers. He and Derek have left Gillian alone before, but it's hard for Derek sometimes. Mark understands, though.

"Good point." Derek just doesn't want the Karevs to be overwhelmed. And he really misses his daughter. It's so hard to be away from Gillian.

"You ready to get all fancy tonight, Der?" Mark remembers that the last time they went out to a fancy restaurant was a few months before the baby was born. They need tonight.

Derek laughs. "I am definitely ready to get fancy tonight, Mark. Let's not think about Gillian for awhile. If we can, at least. It's practically impossible to forget about our little girl."

Mark and Derek spend the rest of the night celebrating the fact that they've been together eight years and talk about Gillian.

"Good night?" Mark asks before they go into their apartment. He and Derek are spending their first night without the baby. She's never been somewhere overnight.

"Good night, Babe." Derek and Mark are suddenly making out. They barely get the door open before they head towards their bedroom. They don't come out until the noon the next day.

Mark and Derek's ninth anniversary is spent apart. The couple had a huge fight only a few days earlier, and Derek walked out. Mark is staying home alone with two year old Gillian, who doesn't understand where her other daddy is and she's asking for him.

Unknown to Mark, Derek is currently in New York. Only a few hours ago, Nancy called in a panic to inform him that their mother is in the hospital.

"I'm sorry your daddy isn't here, Baby Girl," Mark says to a sleeping Gillian. He wants to tell Derek he's sorry. They shouldn't be spending their anniversary alone. Today sucks.

The phone rings and Mark hurries to answer it. "Derek, that you? I'm so sorry. Please come home." He knows he's begging, but Mark really doesn't care.

"My mom's in the hospital and I flew to New York without thinking and I need you and Gilly," Derek rambles. He's so scared. He doesn't want his mom to die.

"Gillian and I will be on the next flight out," Mark replies. He doesn't even care that Derek left without him. He obviously isn't thinking straight.

Unfortunately, Mark and Gillian don't make it to New York until the next day, but Carolyn Shepherd recovers.

Mark and Derek vow to make up after every fight and to not walk out. The couple decides to celebrate their anniversary later.

Mark and Derek celebrate their tenth anniversary with a party hosted by friends and family. Addison and Pete even show up.

"Am I pretty?" three year old Gillian asks Meredith and her husband, Robert. The two struggle not to laugh at the little girl.

"Of course you are," Meredith assures the little girl. She loves Mark and Derek and their family. She got over Derek not being with her years ago.

"Thanks, Auntie Meredith." Gillian skips off to go visit one of her aunts. She has a short attention span tonight, but nobody really cares.

"She's going to be a wonderful big sister," Bailey informs Mark and Derek when Gillian goes skipping past them.

"Gilly is pretty excited," Mark replies. He and Derek are expanding their family in a few months, and they can't wait.

Instead of adopting, this time they're using a surrogate. She's a sweet girl and seven months along. Maria's around somewhere, mingling with the crowd. She's become a good friend of theirs in the past year.

"I still can't believe you two have been together for ten years," Addison tells her ex-husband and his partner. They seem to be one of the happiest families she's ever met. She can't wait to meet their second daughter.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Derek complains. He and Addison were together for just as long before she cheated on him with Mark.

"Because nobody ever expected you two to last," Izzie Karev points out. Alex agrees with his wife. He thought that Mark and Derek were just going through a phase at first, but they're so happy.

"Alright, wasn't somebody supposed to give a speech?" Mark questions, changing the subject. He doesn't want to talk about this anymore.

"I am," Bailey reminds him. She wonders if Sam is around her somewhere. She hasn't seen her husband in awhile.

Later that night, after everyone goes home, Mark and Derek spend the rest of their anniversary in the living room. They watch movies with Gillian, who still hasn't fallen asleep yet.

The couples' eleventh anniversary is spent at home with their two daughters. Four year old Gillian helps Mark prepare dinner for Derek. Derek is trying to get ten month old Jacqueline to sleep, but he's failing in that aspect.

"You like our anniversary so far?" Mark questions over Jacqueline's crying. Gillian is glaring at her younger sister.

"It's fun so far, Mark." Derek doesn't mind spending his and Mark's anniversary with Gillian and Jacqueline. They deserve to be with their daddies for the night.

"I think I want another baby!" Mark calls over all the chaos. Jacqueline has gotten Gillian really upset now, so their four year old is now crying.

"We'll need a house!" Derek shouts back. He wouldn't mind having another baby. Derek does want to wait a little while, though. A four year old and a ten month old is pretty hard at the moment.

"Let's start looking tomorrow, Der!" Mark is serious about another baby. Maybe he and Derek can adopt again. Probably an older child, instead of a baby.

"Okay!" Derek finally calms Jacqueline down a few minutes later and puts her in her crib. Gillian follows her little sister into sleep about an hour later.

Derek and Mark watch TV for the next few hours. They don't mind the fact that they're spending their anniversary in the apartment with their two daughters. It's a good anniversary.

Mark and Derek go on vacation for their twelfth anniversary. Five year old Gillian and twenty-two month Jacqueline are staying with their grandmother in New York for the week.

"I love Hawaii," Mark says. He and Derek haven't been on vacation since their fifth anniversary. It's long overdue. Gillian complained that she couldn't go on vacation with her daddies, until Mark and Derek promised they'd take her and Jacqueline with them on their vacation.

"Hawaii is so nice. Especially without two certain little girls. It's nice not to have to chase them around for once," Derek replies. He loves both his daughters, but he wasn't dragging a five year old and a toddler along on his anniversary trip. The nanny offered to go, but he and Mark had refused. They let her take the week off.

"Just think about the fact that we may have another little one running around next year." Mark can't wait to be a father again.

"Our house is going to be nuts," Derek laughs. He's so happy that he and Mark found a house to live in in the past year. Gillian's thrilled to have her own room.

"But we'll love it, Der." Mark really wants to go in the ocean. He feels like swimming. Mark wants Derek to go in with him.

"You want to go in the ocean. Let's go, Babe." Derek takes off towards the ocean. Mark follows his partner, laughing.

"I love you more than you will ever know, Derek Shepherd-Sloan," Marks tells him when he and Derek come up out of the water. He's so happy he and Derek have made is this long.

"I love you too, Babe." That's when Derek dunks Mark into the ocean. Mark comes up laughing.

"You're going to pay for that, Derek," he warns. The couple plays around in the ocean for the entire day.

"Good anniversary?" Derek questions later, when he and Mark are in bed, watching TV. It's been a good day.

"Good anniversary," Mark confirms. He kisses Derek and the two began to make love for the third time that night.

They return to Seattle a week later. Their anniversary ended up being one of the best they ever had.

Mark and Derek's thirteenth anniversary is spent at Seattle Grace's emergency room. There's a big accident, and neither one of them are making it home to celebrate.

Six year old Gillian is up in the pediatric ward after coming down with the flu. She ended up with a high fever, which landed her in the hospital for the next few days.

Addison is in town for a conference, but that's over, so she's watching thirty-four month old Jacqueline and eight year old Kirsten. Kirsten was Mark and Derek's newly adopted daughter. She came into the family only six months earlier, after being bounced around the foster care system for most of her life. She fit right into the family.

"Happy anniversary," Derek tells Mark right before he goes off to surgery with a patient. He's sad he can't celebrate with Mark tonight, but they can always celebrate another day.

"Happy anniversary! See you later." Mark has his own surgery to do in a half hour, and that's going to take awhile.

"Thirteen years is a long time to be together," Izzie Karev comments. She and Alex have been married for a long time too, though. Wow, everyone's grown up.

"They're really happy," Callie replies. She and Arizona are happy, but they've never been as happy as Mark and Derek.

"Their kids are cute too." Meredith offers to baby-sit when the nanny's day off coincides with her day off. It works really well, because Mark and Derek usually accept.

"I still can't believe they ended up with three little girls. Kirsten, Gillian, and Jacqueline are going to drive them crazy when they're teenagers." Cristina is happy she and Owen only had one kid, and a boy at that. Three girls would drive her up the wall.

Mark and Derek meet up later that night in Gillian's hospital room to watch over their little girl. They don't mind celebrating their anniversary with their sick daughter.

"Get well soon, Gilly," Mark murmurs. He kisses his daughter good-night and prepares to go home with Mark.

"Love you, Baby Girl," Derek tells her. He also kisses Gillian good-night. He and Mark leave Seattle Grace.

Their daughters celebrate their anniversary with them later.

Mark and Derek celebrate their fourteenth anniversary at Disney World. They decided to spend it there for their girls.

"Thanks for bringing us," Kirsten tells her daddies. The nine year old is thrilled to be here. So is seven year old Gillian. Nearly four year old Jacqueline is just taking in all the sights and sounds.

"Can we ride, Daddy Mark and Papa Derek?" Gillian excitedly asks. She can't wait to go on a ride. She wants to have fun.

"Of course we're going to go ride," Mark assures his daughter. He's excited about riding himself. Mark's only been to Disney World once, and that was when he was a teenager.

"Stay near us girls," Derek warns. He's terrified of losing his daughters and doesn't want to let them out of his sight. Derek's just a little bit paranoid.

Derek and Mark's anniversary goes by when they're riding with their daughters, but they don't care. They love this anniversary celebration.

Carolyn Shepherd invites her son and his family out to New York for their fifteenth anniversary. They accept, and fly out the day before.

"I'm having fun, Grandma," Gillian tells her before running off to greet one of her many cousins. Jacqueline and Kirsten are already playing in the backyard, and they seem to be having fun.

"I'm happy for you, Gilly." Carolyn smiles as her granddaughter goes out the door.

"I'm glad we're back in New York," Derek says to his partner. He kisses Mark. He loves Seattle, but New York is nice too.

"I'm glad we're here too, Der," Mark says when he and Derek pull apart. He can't wait to go home, though. He misses their house. And Seattle Grace.

"Happy anniversary, Daddy and Papa," Kirsten tells her father when she comes back into the house. She's so happy they've been together for fifteen years.

"Thanks, sweetheart." Derek's thrilled that all three of his and Mark's daughters are such nice girls. They're also very respectful.

"I'm making you two a very special dinner," Carolyn suddenly decides. She wants Mark and Derek's anniversary to be really memorable.

"Thanks, Mom." Derek hopes she's going to make his favorite meal. He loves her chicken, mashed potatoes, and noodles. They're so good. Mark loves it too, so that'd be great.

A year later, Mark and Derek celebrate their sixteenth anniversary. Kirsten, Gillian, and Jacqueline spend the night at the Karevs to give their fathers some alone time.

"Did you ever think we'd make it sixteen years?" Mark asks Derek after dinner is over with. He's glad that they decided to go with paper plates this year, because doing the dishes is out of the equation.

"I was hoping we would, but it's taken us a long time to get here, Babe," Derek replies. Mark's finally accepted being called Babe. It took a long time, but Derek doesn't care. He loves this man more than anybody.

"You want to have sex on the kitchen floor for old times' sake?" Mark figures he'll give it a shot. He and Derek haven't had sex on the kitchen floor in ages. At least not since they brought Gillian home. They were always afraid one of their kids would walk in on them.

Derek laughs at Mark. He can't believe he just asked that. "Okay," he quickly agrees. He misses having sex on the kitchen floor sometimes.

Mark and Derek end up breaking the kitchen table after they tire of making love on the floor, but they lie to their daughters the next day.

All in all, their anniversary turns out well, even if they are in pain the next day.

Derek is in the hospital for his and Mark's seventeenth anniversary. Like Mark so many years earlier, he's been injured in a car accident.

"I'm scared for Daddy," Gillian sobs to her uncle Alex. He somehow got the job of caring for the three Shepherd-Sloan girls while Mark hauls up in Derek's hospital room.

Unfortunately, Derek was hurt worse than Mark. The accident was two days ago, and it's since been learned that he's comatose.

"I know you are," Alex comforts. Mark's been granted family leave to stay with Derek, but he's refusing to leave the hospital. He and Izzie are currently caring for Kirsten, Gillian, and Jacqueline as Carolyn Shepherd died in her sleep only six months ago.

"How's Mark and Derek doing?" Addison Montgomery-Wilder asks, bursting into the waiting room. She couldn't get time off work until now, and she's really worried about her ex-husband and his partner.

"Derek's still the same and Mark's heading towards a breakdown," Cristina explains. She can see that Mark is ready to fall apart.

"I can definitely see that. Can I go into Derek's room?" Addison questions. She needs to see Derek to calm down. He's going to wake up eventually. Addison knows it.

"Addison," Mark says in shock when she plows into Derek's room. He can't believe she's here. When did she show up? Was she here before?

"How are you?" Addison questions. She wants him to fall apart soon so he gets it out of the way. It'll be better that way.

"I'm okay," Mark lies. He doesn't want anyone to see him fall apart. The love of his life could die. Everything was fine before. Why does it have to change?

"No you're not. Let it out," Addison encourages. She knows what Mark needs, even though her own hands are shaking from stress right now.

"I can't!" Mark cries. He is determined to be strong. His and Derek's daughters need him to be strong. Mark can't have a breakdown.

"Yes, you can, Mark." Addison really doesn't want to drag this breakdown out. It'll be even worse for Mark if he doesn't fall apart now.

"I'm not going to," he insists. Mark knows that Derek will up sometime soon. Hopefully, in the next few hours.

Addison gives up for the moment, so she sits down on one of the chairs with Mark. She can be there for him in another way. It's not like Mark is really paying attention to his surroundings anyway.

And that's when Mark has his breakdown. "I want him to wake up," he sobs. He can't live without Derek. Derek is the love of his life, his best friend, the father of his children.

"He will wake up, Mark." Addison's glad that she was at least the catalyst for the breakdown. Mark probably hasn't fallen apart before now.

"Please don't die, Der," Mark pleads. He couldn't handle it if Derek lost his life in a car accident. They've been best friends for so long and together for seventeen hours. It can't end now. Life can't be that cruel, can it?

Addison sits by Mark and refuses to leave as he continues his breakdown. Eventually, Izzie Karev comes in and sits with them.

Mark and Derek don't celebrate their anniversary this year, but it'll all be okay if Derek wakes up. And he will. Mark knows he'll wake up.

For their eighteenth anniversary, Mark and Derek go out to eat with their daughters. Mark really wants it to be low key, but Derek insisted on having fun. He had missed their last anniversary.

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Mark questions. He knows he's hovering and being overprotective of Derek, but he can't help it. Derek was comatose for four months. Mark worries about him.

"Babe, I'm sure I want to be here. I'm fine," Derek soothes. He knows how worried Mark is. Derek loves him even more for it. He really is fine. It sucks that he couldn't celebrate his last anniversary, but he wants to this year.

"Dad, calm down," insists thirteen year old Kirsten. She understands that her dad is worried about Papa, but he's extremely annoying about it. It got old three weeks after Papa came home from the hospital.

"I'll try." Mark can't turn off his love for Derek, and thus his worry for his partner. He's been trying to quit worrying since Derek woke up eight months ago, but it's not working.

Dinner goes smoothly. "I'm so glad I'm awake this year," Derek tells Mark in the car. They're on their way home now. He just wants to make love to Mark and go to sleep. It sounds like a really great plan.

"Don't joke about that," Mark warns. He still his nightmares about getting the phone call that told him that Derek had been involved in a car accident. Mark still has flashbacks about Derek in that hospital room.

Truth is, Derek's really starting to worry about Mark. He hasn't been the same since he woke up in the hospital. Derek suspects that his boyfriend might have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but he's unsure. "I won't joke about it anymore," Derek promises.

The Shepherd-Sloans eat dinner together as a family. Kirsten then does the dishes and watches her younger siblings as Derek and Mark sit on the couch and turn on a movie.

"Love you so much," Mark murmurs as the credits start to roll on the movie. He'll never be able to stop tellng Derek he loves him now. He could lose him at any moment.

"Love you too, Babe." Derek leans his head on Mark's shoulder and starts to watch TV. He doesn't mind having a low-key anniversary.

Mark and Derek end up falling asleep on the couch, but they really don't care. Even though they didn't get to make love, it was still a great anniversary because Derek survived. Neither could ask for more this year.

Mark and Derek are surprised with a party on their twentieth anniversary. "I'm so happy that you two have made it this long," Miranda tells them. Husband Sam nods in agreement next to her.

"We never expected you two to get together at all, even though we joked about it a few times," Sam tells them. He's just happy that they're happy.

"Nobody expected us to get together, not even me." Derek really didn't. He had loved both Addison and Meredith, but they didn't compare to his love for Mark. The past twenty years had gone by faster than his marriage to Addison.

"I never thought I'd fall in love with my best friend." Mark's being sappy tonight, but he really doesn't give a crap. Tonight is his twentieth anniversary. He's allowed to be sappy.

"You feeling any better?" Addison asks Mark. She was by his side every weekend during Derek's coma, and as a result, she's worries. Probably a little too much.

"I'm feeling a whole lot better," Mark confirms. Turns out that Derek's diagnosis was right. He was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the wake of Derek's accident. He's been in therapy for a few months now.

"Any chance of good music?" Pete Wilder questions. The younger kids have taken control of the music selection for tonight, and they're playing their music. It's all complete and utter crap.

"I'm on it," Izzie Karev vows. She hurries over to the stereo system and the many children around it. She'll put on some great music that Mark and Derek love.

"So what's been the best part of these past twenty years?" Lexie Grey-O'Malley really wants to know. She and George have only been together eleven years and married nine, so she's curious.

"Don't you dare say the sex," Addison warns. She knows where Mark's mind is. Derek's too. Addison has known them for a very long time. She understands their thought processes now or something. It's a little bit weird, but no one else seems to think so.

"Raising a family together. Being happy and in love," Mark replies. He can't imagine his life without Derek and their three daughters. It literally hurts to think about.

"Same thing." Derek loves his and Mark's family. They worked hard to last twenty years. Some couples don't, like he and Addison.

"That's so sweet," Meredith tells them. She thinks Mark and Derek are adorable together. Right now, Meredith's surprised they didn't become a couple sooner.

"I hope you two had fun tonight," Addison tells them later, after everyone leaves. She, Pete, and their kids are going to leave in the morning. They don't want to go back to California tonight. It's too late, and everyone's tired.

"We did," Derek confirms. He and Mark really wish they didn't have a house full of company, because they really want to go upstairs and make love.

"We'll see you in the morning." Mark grabs Derek and they bound up the stairs. They make love anyway. Addison and Pete don't tell the two that they heard them, because Mark and Derek sounded like they were having fun. At least none of the kids heard.

Mark and Derek look forward to their future anniversaries.

Nobody makes a big deal out of twenty-one years. That includes Mark and Derek. The couple have to spend all day working. Derek has three surgeries, and Mark has two. They don't really have time to celebrate.

"You want to celebrate tomorrow?" Mark's heading off into his next surgery while Derek's just coming out of his second.

"I have to work tomorrow too!" Derek calls as his partner disappears from sight. He really wishes they could celebrate, but it's not that bad if they don't celebrate this year. They already hit several milestone anniversaries.

When Mark and Derek get the chance, they'll celebrate their twenty-first anniversary the way they want to.

For their twenty-second anniversary, the couple heads back to Hawaii. This time, they bring their daughters with them.

"I love Hawaii," raves fifteen year old Gillian. She hopes that she'll meet some cute guys here. It'd be a wasted trip if she didn't.

"So do I," chimes in Kirsten, now seventeen. Unlike Gillian, she's not looking for a cute guy. She has a boyfriend back home that she misses. But Hawaii's amazing, and Kirsten won't mind staying.

"I want to go have fun in the ocean," whines twelve year old Jacqueline. She's sick of just sitting on the beach and looking for seashells.

"You go ahead, Lin. Be careful, though." Mark doesn't want his youngest daughter getting hurt. He worries about all three of his girls.

"I can't wait until our new little brother or sister joins the family," Kirsten says. Her parents decided months ago they wanted a new baby. Like with Jacqueline, they went with a surrogate. The fourth Shepherd-Sloan child is due in six months. Neither Mark nor Derek care that they are sixty-one and they're about to be parents again.

"It's definitely going to be different," Mark answers. He and Derek forty-nine when Jacqueline came into their lives, and they were able to keep up with her. They miss having a baby around the house.

"Can we name the baby this time?" Gillian questions. She loves her name and her sisters' names (even if Dad and Papa didn't choose Kirsten's name), but she wants to help pick out the name.

"Middle name," Derek automatically replies. He and Mark desperately can't wait to expand their family. That's one of the main reasons they decided to have another baby.

"Okay, I'll agree to that." Gillian's already thinking up tons of perfect middle names. She has a list of favorite baby names. She's not giving her little sibling her ultimate favorites, however.

About fifteen minutes later, all five Shepherd-Sloans head into the ocean. They have tons of fun just playing around with each other.

"You think next year will be just as fun?" Mark asks Derek later on. All three girls are fast asleep in their room, something the two men are happy about. They want some privacy.

Derek nods. "Next year we'll have a six month old. It'll be just as crazy as our eleventh anniversary. Gillian was only four and Jacqueline was ten months old. You remember that? We barely had any time to celebrate, but it was still fun." He loves his crazy anniversaries with Mark. Derek wouldn't change those for anything.

"I still can't comprehend the fact that we have a seventeen year old, a fifteen year old, and a twelve year old. I still remember bringing Gillian home from the hospital. That was on our seventh anniversary," Mark muses. He can't help but get nostalgic today.

"You realize that a lot of good things happen near or on our anniversary, Mark?" Derek doesn't know why these things happen, but he isn't about to question it. He loves the good luck charm that their anniversary is.

"And a lot of bad things too," Mark reminds his partner. He doesn't want to think about Derek's accident and his coma. He also doesn't like to think about the PSTD he suffered from as a result of that.

"Don't think about the bad things, Babe. Just remember the good times," Derek encourages. He wants happy thoughts to be on the menu for today. It did go pretty well, after all.

"I love you more than you will ever know," Mark says out of the blue. He doesn't want to think about a life without Derek. He nearly lost his best friend after sleeping with Addison, but Mark's so happy that they eventually made up.

Derek smiles at him. "You make me so happy, Mark. I love you too." His love for Mark is something he never expected, but Derek's glad he did fall in love with him.

Next year, for their twenty-third anniversary, Mark and Derek really don't do anything. They're busy with three teenagers and two six month olds. Turns out their surrogate was pregnant with twins girls. Mark and Derek have given up on having a son. They don't care about the fact that they have six daughters. Their family is perfect exactly the way it is.

"Do you want me to cook you guys dinner?" sixteen year old Gillian questions. She wants Papa and Dad's anniversary to be special, even though twenty-three years isn't a milestone anniversary. They deserve to have a fun day.

"You want to?" Mark asks, sliding six month old Rachel Gretchen Shepherd-Sloan into her baby swing. He's so happy that at least one of the twins is asleep. Two six month olds are hard to take care of. He and Derek haven't had to take care of two babies before. By the time that Jacqueline came along, Gillian was three and in pre-school.

"Of course I do," Gillian assures her dad. She just wants her parents to relax and not think about the twins for tonight. Since Kirsten is out with her boyfriend, she and thirteen year old Jacqueline are taking care of their baby sisters.

"Okay," Derek agrees. He's so tired and can't wait until the twins start sleeping through the night. He and Mark really haven't had too much problems with the girls, despite the fact that they are in their sixties. It's the three teenagers they're having a problem with, actually. Three teenage girls in one house is a bad situation. Mix that in with newborn toddlers, and things are even worse.

"Aunt Izzie and Uncle Alex are coming over tomorrow," Gillian reminds Mark and Derek. She isn't sure if they've remembered or not, but it doesn't hurt to tell them again.

"We know," Mark murmurs. He's tired too and just wants to go to sleep. Unfortunately, Rachel's twin sister Julie Marie Sloan-Shepherd is still wide awake. The baby swing is not helping her go to sleep.

"Lin, why don't you take Rach and Jules in your room for a little while," Gillian says to her younger sister. She's trying to make this the perfect day for her parents, and nothing is going to ruin that.

"Okay," Lin replies. She hurries to get the double stroller currently in the hallway and walks back to the living room. She places Rachel and Julie in the strollers and heads towards her room.

"Just remember that you two will have eighteen months old next year instead of six months old." Gillian's trying to help out as much as possible.

"They'll be walking by then, Gilly," Mark can't help but point out. He and Derek had twelve years in between Jacqueline and the twins, so they forgot all about baby-proofing everything and getting up so many times in the middle of the night. Luckily for them, Rachel and Julie are now on a schedule that works.

Soon, dinner is ready. Gillian leaves her parents alone and bolts towards Jacqueline's room to help her sister with Rachel and Julie. She figures that Jacqueline is probably in over her head by now. Gillian actually expects to find three crying sisters when she goes in there. She is pleasantly surprised to find all three of her younger sisters asleep. Gillian falls asleep herself a few minutes later.

"We have some wonderful kids," Mark says to Derek in between bites. He's so grateful for his six daughters, and wouldn't trade them for anything.

"We definitely do. It's so hard to believe that our oldest is going to be heading off to college soon and our youngest are still babies. Do you regret waiting twelve years?" Derek asks. He loves that he and Mark waited twelve years after Jacqueline to have another baby (two, actually). They got to enjoy time with their oldest three before family dynamics changed.

"I'm actually thinking that I want another baby," Mark sheepishly replies. Who cares if they still have two babies? They can add to their family if they want.

"You're thinking about it too?" asked a surprised Derek. He'd love to adopt again. Kirsten and Gillian were adopted, and that process went smoothly.

"Let's do it. We'll go to the adoption agency in the morning," Mark decides. He can't believe he and Derek just decided to adopt again. This is a really big step. Are they ready for six kids?

Derek laughs. "I can't believe we're discussing this when Rachel and Julie are only six months old, but I don't care. Let's put our name on the list." Their family is going to be nuts and they'll probably need another house, but that doesn't matter at the moment.

Everything is going the way the Shepherd-Sloan family wants it to. They couldn't be happier.

On their twenty-fourth anniversary, Mark and Derek head out to California with their family. Kirsten is away at college and can't make it, however.

"I can't believe you two actually made it out here this quickly," says a surprised Addison. She didn't think they were going to make it, actually.

Eighteen month olds Julie and Rachel are crawling around in their portable playpen and babbling. Eighteen year old Gillian is talking on the phone to her boyfriend, while fifteen year old Jacqueline is trying to find something to watch on TV.

"We had some help. Gilly drove for a little while so Mark or I could take care of Julie and Rachel," Derek explains. He loves being in California. It's a nice change from Seattle for the moment.

"When do you bring your little girl home?" Pete questions. He knows that Mark and Derek are adopting again, and he couldn't be happier for them.

"In three weeks," Mark excitedly answers. They recently adopted a five year old little girl named Caroline. Caroline grew up in the foster care system. She adores her adoptive parents, and can't wait to go home with them. She also loves her older sisters.

"Can you handle three teenagers, a five year old, and two toddlers?" Addison really doesn't think she'd be able to handle it, even with Pete's help. She'd go nuts if she was in Mark and Derek's family.

"Kirsten's away at college and Gillian's going to college soon. I think we'll be able to handle it. Caroline is our final kid anyway. Six is enough." Derek really hoped that Beth would fit right in with their family.

"So what do you want to do for your trip this week?" Pete questions. He loves having the Shepherd-Sloans around. They make everything seem more interesting.

Mark shrugs. "We can stop by your work, I guess. Maybe the beach. Beyond that, Derek and I have nothing else planned. Neither do the girls." He and his partner really should have thought this "anniversary trip to California" thing through. They have nothing to do!

"We'll decide later," Derek declares. He just wants to enjoy his first day in California. That's all he wants. He doesn't care about tomorrow just yet. He'll worry about that in the morning.

"We should watch TV," Addison suggests. She finds the remote and turns the TV on. After a few minutes of finding nothing on, she hands it to Gillian.

"Thanks, Aunt Addison." Gillian finally finds something she wants to watch in less than ten minutes. Derek, Mark, and Pete groan when they see that she chose a romantic comedy.

"Do we have to watch this, Baby Girl?" Mark loves his daughter, but he really doesn't want to watch a chick flick. They always get him emotional for some reason.

"Yes, you do. And no complaining." Gillian settles in to watch the movie. Jacqueline wanders in and joins her older sister a few minutes later.

The Shepherd-Sloan trip to California isn't dictated by plans. Instead, they are spontaneous. It's more fun that way and everyone but Julie and Rachel like it.

Mark and Derek celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary by going out to eat. When they return, they are shocked to discover that Kirsten, Gillian, and Jacqueline planned a surprise party.

"Do you like it, Daddy and Papa?" questions six year old Caroline. She's excited to be a part of this, even though she doesn't understand the implications that her parents have been together twenty-five years. It's an extremely long time.

"We love it, Carly." Mark means it. He's so happy that their friends surprised them like this. They had been planning on spending a nice evening home with their girls. Instead, they're spending it with their entire family.

Thirty month olds Julie and Rachel are toddling all over the place. They're happy to see all these people in their house. The nearly three year olds are very happy little girls.

"Congratulations on making it twenty-five years," Izzie tells them. She's so excited for them. It was her idea to throw Mark and Derek a surprise party.

"Thanks, Izzie. We're happy that we've been together twenty-five years." Derek means it. A lot of couples don't make it twenty-five years. He and Mark beat the odds.

"I hope to spend twenty-five more years with him. Hopefully longer," Mark adds. The girls think that's the most adorable thing they ever heard.

"I hope so too, Babe." Derek kisses Mark and the couple begins to make out. They don't care that they're in front of family and friends.

"Okay, you can stop that now," Violet tells them. Those two haven't come up for air yet, which is surprising. A few seconds later, Violet wanders off to find husband Cooper and their family.

Mark and Derek pull apart a minute later. "I think we scared everyone away," a laughing Mark tells his partner.

Derek shrugs. "Doesn't matter. This is our party." He and Mark walk over to their couch so they can see what everyone around them is doing.

"Please tell us the story of how you got together," Callie says. Despite knowing Mark and Derek all these years, she's never found out. One day, Mark and Derek were friends. The next day, they came into work holding hands. It was a shock.

"We never told you?" Mark's surprised about that. He could have sworn he and Derek have told this story before.

"You only told us," Gillian reminds Mark. She's heard the story so many times, but doesn't care. Gillian loves hearing the story of how her parents became a couple.

"You want to start?" Derek asks his partner. Mark always starts the story, and then he takes over from there. It works for them.

"Derek and I have always been best friends. I think Carolyn later told us that she was surprised we didn't get together sooner. Derek and Meredith's relationship had just ended. I got Derek drunk to make him feel better, and one thing led to another," Mark explains.

Derek takes over from there. "Mark wanted to live in denial the next morning. He didn't want to think about what happened, but I refused to let him. We talked for a little while, and realized we were in love. We officially became a couple a few hours later. The rest is history."

"That's so romantic," Arizona says. She puts her arm around Callie and the two slowly make their way to the kitchen.

Somebody puts slow music on, Mark and Derek began dancing to it. Twenty-five years is a long time to be together, and the couple are happy to be celebrating their anniversary.

Mark and Derek spend their twenty-sixth anniversary fighting. They're both working this year, and their youngest daughters are with the nanny, so they're really not doing anything today anyway.

"Why don't you go home by yourself tonight?" Mark snarls at Derek as he passed him in the hallway. He knows he's being unfair, especially on his anniversary, but Mark is hurt and angry.

"Shut up," Derek snarls back as he heads off to surgery. He's hurt and angry too, and taking it out on Mark seems to help. Derek hopes they can make up soon, though.

"Are Dad and Papa still fighting?" Kirsten asks her aunt Meredith a few hours later when she shows up at the hospital to visit Mark and Derek.

Meredith nods. "They're definitely still fighting, Kirsten. You might have to get them to talk again. Fighting on your anniversary seems like it would be a really horrible thing. Derek's still in surgery, so you might have to wait awhile." She doesn't like the fact that her ex-boyfriend and Mark are fighting like this. These two are her amazing together, and her role model for a successful relationship. It makes Meredith feel weird when they fight.

"I'll wait for Papa to come out of surgery. I want to tell him and Dad something anyway," Kirsten says. The twenty-one year old has an announcement she can't wait to share.

"What's going on, Kirsten?" Meredith hasn't seen Kirsten this excited in a long time. She wonders what's happening with her.

"I can't tell you, Aunt Meredith." Kirsten is ready to tell anyone, and she's ready to divulge the secret. She's so excited.

"Tell me," Meredith pleads. Kirsten being excited is making her excited.

Kirsten can't hold it in any longer. "I'm getting married! Brad proposed and I accepted!" she squeals happily. She's going to be Kirsten Loran soon!

Meredith squeals too. She hugs Kirsten. "I'm so happy for you. When did this happen? Tell me all the details." She and her husband, Robert, have two sons. She can't have fun talking about girly wedding details with them when they eventually get married.

"He proposed to me last night. We were just sitting at home, watching TV. All of a sudden Brad gets a ring out of his pocket and asks me to marry him. I said yes and then cried," Kirsten explains.

"That's so sweet, Kirsten. Do you know when you want to get married?" Meredith questions. She knows that Kirsten is young, but at least this is her final year of college.

Kirsten shakes her head. "We haven't set a date yet. I'm still in shock over the fact that I'm getting married. I've been with Brad for so long. We never really talked about marriage all that much besides knowing that we were definitely going to get married."

A few minutes later, Kirsten's other "aunts" join her and Meredith to talk about the proposal and engagement.

Two hours later, Derek gets out of surgery. Mark and Derek go up to their oldest daughter together, but aren't talking to each other. "What's up, Kirsten?" Derek asks her.

Kirsten smiles. "Daddy and Papa, I have something really important to tell you. I'm getting married! Brad proposed last night." She'll never get tired of telling people that Brad proposed.

Mark and Derek stare at their daughter in shock. "You're getting married? I'm thrilled." Derek can't believe he's going to gain a son-in-law soon.

"I'm getting old," Mark whines, but he's smiling. He hugs his oldest daughter and struggles not to cry. Why must he be so emotional?

Kirsten laughs. "You're not old, Daddy. I'm just getting older." She really can't wait to be Mrs. Kirsten Loran.

"Are you pregnant?" Derek asks. He doesn't want his daughter to have a shotgun wedding. It wouldn't matter if she did, but he still wants to know.

Kirsten glares at her fahter. "Papa, I'm not pregnant. We probably won't have a baby for another few years."

"I had to ask, Kirsten. I am your father. And you're twenty-one," Derek points out. He doesn't want Kirsten to rush into anything.

"Our oldest daughter's getting married," an excited Mark tells his partner. He doesn't care that he and Derek were fighting earlier.

"I'm sorry," Derek suddenly apologizes. He wants to apologize for the fight since today is a happy today for several reasons. His daughter's engaged and he and Mark have been together for twenty-six years.

"I'm sorry too." Mark doesn't want to fight anymore today.

"Yay for them making up," an excited Kirsten says to Meredith and Callie. She doesn't like it when her parents fight.

On their twenty-seventh anniversary, Mark and Derek go out to a movie. Their kids are throwing them a family dinner later, and the girls want them out of the house for a little while.

"That was a good movie," Mark tells Derek as the exit the theatre. He can't wait to go home and see what their girls have planned for them.

"It was a great movie." Derek loves his daughters, but he really can't wait to be home alone with Mark tonight. Their oldest daughters have been home every night this week.

"Hi, Daddy and Papa!" chirps four year old Rachel. Twin sister Julie is talking to Gillian on the couch, and not paying attention to the fact that her fathers are home.

"Hi," Derek says. He hugs Rachel. He and Mark walk into the living room and sit down. They're tired and just want to eat. Eight year old Caroline is taking a nap on the floor.

Kirsten and husband Brad are helping out Jacqueline in the kitchen. Gillian was chosen to watch over the three youngest Shepherd-Sloan girls.

"Is dinner almost ready?" Mark's starving. He can't wait to eat. Mark's actually been wanting this dinner ever since he heard about it.

Jacqueline, now seventeen, nods. "It should be ready in less than five minutes." She returns to the kitchen and her older sister.

Sure enough, dinner's ready in three minutes. The Shepherd-Sloans sit down in the dining room to eat. All of them are hungry.

"Are you guys happy to make it twenty-seven years?" Gillian asks her fathers. She hopes to make it twenty-seven years with her future husband.

"We're excited to be together for twenty-seven years," Derek confirms. It's hard to believe it's been twenty-seven years since he and Mark became a couple.

"I can't imagine my life without him or any of you," Mark adds. Derek and his six daughters are the best things to ever happen to him. He doesn't mind the fact that he and his partner never had a son.

"That's the cutest thing I ever heard." Jacqueline can't wait to be in love like her parents are. They are so in love and cute.

Shortly after dinner is over, the entire Sloan-Shepherd family ignores the dishes and decides to watch a movie. They want to spend more time together.

Next year, Derek and Mark celebrate their twenty-eighth anniversary at Kirsten and Brad's house. Kirsten is throwing her fathers a small party.

"How are you feeling?" Mark asks his oldest daughter. Kirsten is eight months pregnant with his and Derek's first grandchild. They're both worried about her.

"I'm feeling great," Kirsten answers. She can't wait to give birth, however. This last month of pregnancy is going by slowly. She doesn't know how her fathers waited to adopt or for their surrogate to give birth.

"Any name ideas yet?" Gillian can't wait to become an aunt. She wants a niece or nephew to spoil so bad. She's going to buy the baby the cutest outfits ever.

"We chose a name last month, but we're not telling anybody until the baby's born," Brad replies. He can't wait to become a father, and has been asking Mark and Derek questions. He hasn't stopped since they learned of Kirsten's pregnancy.

"That's fair. I still can't wait to become a grandfather." Derek's excited about welcoming a grandchild. He doesn't care whether he gets a grandson or granddaughter. Mark wants a grandson to make up for six daughters. He wouldn't care if they had a granddaughter, but a grandson would be nice.

"I want to know the name. I can't wait another month." Mark has no patience. He wants to meet his first grandchild soon.

This anniversary is quiet, something everyone is happy about.

On their twenty-ninth anniversary, Mark and Derek baby-sit their granddaughter, Sloan Shepherd Loran. Kirsten and Brad are out for the evening. Gillian and Jacqueline decided to spend a fun day with their three younger sisters.

"I'm glad to be watching this little one tonight," Derek murmurs. This is nice, spending the day with Mark and their granddaughter. He's glad that he retired a few months ago.

"So am I. I love our granddaughter so much." Mark loves being a grandfather. It's right up there with being the love of Derek's love and a father.

"She's beautiful. Yes, you are," Derek says to Sloan. He can't wait to have more grandchildren. Sloan is so beautiful, especially compared to his and Mark's six daughters.

Eleven month old Sloan giggles at her grandfathers. The little girl thinks that both of them are funny, and always laughs.

Derek, Mark, and Sloan fall asleep together on the bed ten minutes later. Kirsten doesn't have the heart to wake the three of them up when she and Brad return. "They're so cute," she whispers to her husband.

"Is the baby okay?" asks a concerned Brad. He doesn't want Sloan to be squished by Mark and Derek. It's a weird fear of his, but a fear nonetheless.

"She'll be fine. Let's just stay in my old room tonight," Kirsten answers. She and Brad leave her parents' room and head towards her childhood bedroom.

It's a nice way for Mark and Derek to celebrate their anniversary. Spending it with their granddaughter is the best thing ever.

Derek and Mark celebrate their thirtieth anniversary with another party. All of their friends and family show up to celebrate with them.

A six months pregnant Gillian and her boyfriend Mark Hartwyn are staying near the food table and basically refusing to leave. Gillian's having a little boy. The twenty-three year old's pregnancy was unexpected, but she can't wait to meet her son.

"Are you going to leave that area at all?" a seven months pregnant Kirsten asks her younger sister. She's having a little boy, too.

"You're pregnant too. You have to be hungry," Gillian says to her older sister. She hasn't been able to stop eating since she arrived at her parents' home.

"I can't wait you both have your babies," chimes in nineteen year old Jacqueline. Her sisters are driving her up the wall right now.

Kirsten and Gillian glare at her. "Leave your sisters alone," Derek orders Jacqueline. He doesn't want her to be the target of two pregnant women.

Mark and Derek disappear to their bedroom for a little while. Jacqueline shrieks upon finding her fathers in the middle of sex.

"I'm scarred for life," she tells a laughing Kirsten and Gillian. The two girls have had their own experiences with walking in on their fathers having sex.

"At least you haven't seen them before," Gillian points out to her younger sister. She walked in on her papa and dad when she was twelve.

Mark and Derek hurry down the steps and bolt towards the living room. They are trying to ignore Jacqueline. They're embarrassed about her seeing them making love. "What happened?" Addison asks them.

"Jacqueline walked in on us having sex," Mark reluctantly answers. He can't believe three of their six daughters have caught them in bed.

Addison and Pete start laughing. "You two really snuck upstairs to have sex?" Addison can't believe them. She and Pete have never done that, despite being together for so long.

Derek nods. "We couldn't help it. Mark and I got caught up in the mood and we couldn't wait." That's the truth. Derek just wanted to show Mark how much he loves him.

"I love Derek," Mark defends. He just wanted to have a little bit of fun with him during the party. It was worth it too, despite Jacqueline walking in on them.

The caterers arrive five minutes later, and everyone forms a line around the buffet table. All the guests are hungry and they've been waiting to eat for a few hours.

"I want to spend thirty more years with you," Mark murmurs against his partner's shoulder. Both are tired, and Mark is leaning on Derek.

"I like that plan," Derek murmurs back. He reaches around and kisses Mark.

"Hey, no making out in the buffet line," Izzie protests. She and Alex snuck off earlier to make out, but that was before dinner.

"Like we didn't catch you and Alex in the closet at your twenty-fifth anniversary party!" Meredith shouts back. She's ahead of Alex and Izzie.

"Can we not talk about that now?" Alex asks loudly. He and Izzie snuck off several times that night to have sex, but no one knows about that. Except for the closet incident.

"Please. We caught you and Rob on your couch on your fifteenth anniversary! Nothing beats that!" shouts Cristina. Owen is struggling not to start laughing next to his wife.

"What about the fact that Alex caught you two in your car one night?" yells Mark. He wants to get in on this yelling thing. It's pretty fun.

Soon enough, everyone is eating and not talking to each other. The yelling starts again after dinner is over.

Mark surprises Derek shortly after dinner: He's retiring from work soon.

Derek then surprises Mark: They're going on a month long trip to Europe in a few months, so he's glad that Mark's retiring.

Thirty years is a long time to be in a relationship, and Mark and Derek are glad to make it this far. They can't wait to live together for another thirty years.

Everything is perfect for the Sloan-Shepherd family.


End file.
